World Resources Institute Europe’s Post

Critical message from Sandrine Dixson-Declève + Johan Rockstrom to which I will add - WE ARE FACING TWO EXISTENTIAL CLOCKS TICKING DOWN: We're witnessing an unprecedented ethical failure in AI deployment. While we debate incremental safeguards, labs are racing toward AGI with virtually no oversight, driven by profit rather than human welfare. 👉Just as climate change isn't a future threat but at our doorstep, AI isn't coming - it's here, and we're handling it with stunning irresponsibility. Consider: - Leading AI labs admit they can't control their own systems - We're seeing 3-6 month doubling times in AI capabilities and it will accelerate - Critical AI safety researchers estimate a 10-25% chance of AI-driven catastrophe this century - Yet investment in AI safety is less than 1% of total AI funding Rather than slow, incremental change, we need immediate ethical transformation: 1️⃣ Declare an AI-Planetary Emergency: We face twin existential risks - climate collapse and unaligned AI. Both threaten the foundation of life on Earth. We are the last generation with the power to establish genuine control over both. Continuing current deployment patterns is actively unethical. 2️⃣ Overhaul Governance & Ethics Framework: Current institutions are failing both planet + humanity. We need binding international oversight with real power - not voluntary guidelines that prioritize market competition over survival. A Global AGI Ethics Council. 3️⃣ Form an Emergency Coalition that demands: - Immediate pause on training of increasingly powerful AI systems - Redirect significant AI investment to safety research - Mandatory ethical review boards with actual veto power - Integration of planetary boundaries + Living Systems science into AI development criteria - Democratic oversight of transformative AI capabilities 4️⃣ Public Accountability Through: - Real-time transparency of AI development - Criminal penalties for reckless deployment - Citizen assemblies on AI direction - Environmental impact assessments of AI infrastructure & use - Protection of human agency against algorithmic control Every week we delay ethical oversight, we risk both humanity & Earth's life-supporting systems. As with climate change, the water is already at our gates - except AI moves at digital speed, not geological time. This isn't about slowing innovation. It's about ensuring we survive it. The window for action is closing faster than most realize. The problem is that we all feel a lack of agency over the larger systems of change. What is there to do? Gather your people, find the others, put pressure, have courage to dissent, code for LIFE, become an AI Ethics Activist, take good care of your energy. John C. Havens Francesca Rossi Virginia Dignum Marisa Zalabak Mia Shah-Dand Valeria Sadovykh, Ph.D. Dr. Joy Buolamwini Dr. Anneloes Smitsman Gry Hasselbalch Timnit Gebru #AIEthics #ResponsibleAI #TechEthics #ExistentialRisk #PlanetaryBoundaries #AILeadership #ClimateChange

"I recently attended an enlightening session on 'Reflections of COP 28' organized by READ Resilience and Adaptation. This informative discussion highlighted key takeaways from the conference, including: - Global climate commitments - Climate finance and adaptation - Emerging technologies and innovations The session reinforced the urgency of climate action and the importance of collective efforts. I'm grateful for the valuable insights and connections made. Let's continue the conversation! What climate initiatives are you supporting? Share your thoughts! #COP28 #ClimateAction #Sustainability #READResilienceAndAdaptation"

“The world’s natural capital declined by 40% in 30 years” and “1/3 of our planet’s food is wasted”. See more statistics on the progress of sustainable development from the World Economic Forum here -

𝐋𝐂𝐀𝐖 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫. 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧 🌍 As part of London Climate Action Week 2024, we’re proud to spotlight a key session: The Future of Climate Finance: 𝑫𝒓. 𝑴𝒂𝒉𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝑴𝒐𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏 on the Path to Adequate, Fair, and Effective Funding. This session provides valuable insights into ensuring that climate finance is equitable, effective, and sufficient for driving meaningful action. Stay tuned for more updates and insights from LCAW 2024! #LCAW2024 #ClimateFinance #FutureFinance #Sustainability #NetZero #ClimateAction #GlobalClimateLeadership #CLAN #COP29 #sdg13 #climateaction #climatechange

There is promising progress in technologies that tackle the most concerning issues related to our fragile ecosystem. But, the figures shared by WEF below underscore the urgent need for collective action and faster innovation to ensure a sustainable future for all.

#CASA2 will be at #SB60 in Bonn this week. We look forward to discussions on progress on a new goal for #ClimateFinance & what emerges on aligning global financial flows with climate action to build resilience as climate variability increases with more frequency and intensity. 👉 follow the conversation: https://unfccc.int/sb60 #climatenegotiations #climatefinance #climateaction International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) Climate Analytics Oxford Policy Management DAI Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

New piece from Alex Randall - 'We need a jigsaw approach to climate-driven displacement' - exploring the role of climate negotiations and what #COP29 might be able to achieve on climate-driven displacement. Read now 👇

🌎 Can international climate summits drive the action we need? Professor Mark Maslin (MSc Climate Change) joins leading experts on BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science to discuss COP29, the pressing impacts of climate change, and the effectiveness of global policy efforts in a record-breaking year for temperature. As the world edges closer to critical climate thresholds, tune in for this crucial discussion on what needs to change and how we can act for a sustainable future. 🎧 Listen here: tinyurl.com/ucl-bbc-inside #ClimateChange #COP29 #Sustainability #UCLGeography

Here are 6 statistics to know about the world’s rate of progress on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. For key takeaways from #COP29, and more of the latest #climate and #nature news, read our round-up of key stories selected by the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate: https://ow.ly/cyek50UhYm0  #SustainableDevelopment #SDGs

At #COP29, several notable achievements were made for #water’s role in climate action. So, while the overall outcome of the conference was labelled a dissapointment by many, there were also positive signs worth highlighting. Here are SIWI's top three. ➡️ https://bit.ly/4fTEtUB ---------- #SIWI #WaterGovernance #WaterAction #WaterActionAgenda #WaterAndClimate #Water4Climate #WaterSolutions #WaterInnovation #ClimateChange #SustainableDevelopment #2030Agenda #SDGs #SDG6